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John C.

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THE JOHN REPORT
Going out with a BANG! BANG!

I know what all of you are thinking right about now: That Viscera/Mark Henry match was one of the greatest matches ever! Well maybe that is not what you are thinking and obviously that was a joke (not a great one) so save the hate mail till later. Now that I have taken care of the sarcastic part of this column lets take a look at the WWF's latest PPV No Way Out and a brief look at the great Mick Foley.

Was No Way Out the PPV of the year?
I really enjoyed the PPV from top to bottom and I think it was a shade better than the Royal Rumble. I am not insinuating that the Royal Rumble was bad or anything I just think that No Way Out (NWO) was better overall. Both cards had a great main event but the NWO undercard was better than the one at the Royal Rumble. If you think the Rumble was better I am not going to argue with you cause both were VERY good. The WWF has made great strides in the last two months just look at the Armageddon PPV if you don't believe me. The title match was Big Show vs. Bossman and the main event was Triple H vs. Vince so obviously they have significantly improved. I am confident enough to even say that the Royal Rumble and No Way Out are the best back to back PPVs the WWF has had since they began doing PPVs every month. Of course they have WrestleMania next month so things could be even better for the WWF.

How did John do?

It turns out that I did not do very well in the preview garnering a 2-5 record while DRQ had a 3-4 record. I never said I was perfect but at least I am willing to pick a winner of each match even though some people criticize me for it. Lucky for me, many people like the preview and some even offer suggestions like this one from reader Tom Shakhli: "It is getting more and more like the wwf is starting to do exactly the opposite of what the majority of the internet says. Please next time could you predict the big slow for a win..." Hmmm, now there's a thought, do the exact opposite of what I am thinking. It worked for George Costanza in an episode of Seinfeld so maybe it could work for me.

Anyway, I'll go over the card from top to bottom with thoughts and star ratings (5 being excellent, 1 being bad, etc.) for each match. It was definitely a night for the heels and truly a great event all the way through. I watched it live and watched a tape of it early this morning.

Kurt Angle d. Chris Jericho to become the IC Champion
I thought Jericho would win but I was wrong yet I am not disappointed. The match was pretty good and was a good choice for an opening match. I am a little disappointed that Jericho lost but it is okay because he has a very bright future ahead of him as does Angle. The post match celebration from Angle was absolutely hilarious but so is most of the things this guy does. He has given wrestling a refreshing character and I applaud him for all the success he has had in such a short time. I am hoping they can have a European title tournament in the coming weeks so that some a deserving champion like Test or D'Lo can hold a belt and hopefully give credibility back to it. I wonder if the WWF can actually milk this feud for five more weeks heading into WM2000 cause ten TV shows means a lot of different angles. We will have to wait and see I guess. I give it a rating ***1/4 because I liked the ending where Angle blocked the lionsault using the belt.

The Dudley Boyz d. The New Age Outlaws to become Tag Team Champions
This was not much of a surprise especially after learning that Mr. Ass had a shoulder injury. The match did nothing for me but it was decent enough to get a rating of *1/2 from me. I hope the Outlaws split up because they are no longer needed in the tag division. Mr. Ass is out for three months with a shoulder injury and I for one won't miss him.

Mark Henry d. Viscera
I am sure WWF haters will say that the PPV sucked and this is the reason why. This match did suck but it was kept under four minutes. Oh well, it proved that nobody is perfect. I would give it a DUD rating but when a guy hits a body slam for a finisher it is enough to give it a rating of -* and that is pretty generous.

Edge & Christian d. The Hardy Boyz
You got the usual aerial artistry from this four as they delivered a very good match. They were not crisp with every move they did but for the most part it was excellent work by all four guys. I was surprised that the Hardys lost but the whole night was pretty surprising so I am not upset or anything. I doubt Edge & Christian will get the title shot at 'Mania though so there's a good chance the Hardys will face the Dudleys there. I am not going to guess why Terri turned on them, the obvious reason is that the Hardys did not protect her, because I have never understood the mind of a woman and I never will. I give it a rating of **** for a match I enjoyed and was pleased to see given over 15 minutes.

Tazz v. Big Bossman ended in a DQ
Why not save this for TV? I guess they are trying to build Tazz up as a tough guy who takes a beating and keeps on ticking but I would have done things differently. It lasted for about 30 seconds so it gets a DUD rating. If the Bossman wrestled for more than two minutes it would be negative stars but it was kept short.

X-Pac d. Kane
I am sure some people are wondering why they would job Kane to X-Pac like this and I think the answer is due to the fact that Kane's reputation will not be tarnished after a loss like this. He could be a main eventer any time he wants while X-Pac needs some big wins over big names in order to move up the ladder and that is what the WWF did here. Their Armageddon match was better than this one but this was okay earning a **3/4 rating from me.

Too Cool & Rikishi d. Benoit, Malenko, Saturn
I am surprised the Radicals, particularly Benoit, were a non factor throughout this match. I mean, don't you think Chris Benoit should have played a bigger role in his first ever WWF PPV? I am a little disappointed in the outcome of this one cause the Radicals really could have used a victory here. The match itself was very good and could have been better if Rikishi played less of a role in this match. I wish Eddy was out there the whole time or at least have a run in at the end so he could have hit Rikishi's angle and Malenko fall on top for the win as he was going for the Rikishi Driver. I guess Rikishi is in line for a big push though and that's probably why they won. Unlike WCW the WWF pushes people who are actually over rather than pushing the guys with the biggest salary and ego. Props to Christopher and Taylor for doing a great job in the ring proving once again that they have become very polished in the ring. I know their work is often overlooked but trust me when I tell you that these two are very good workers who are only going to improve after working with the likes of The Radicals. Chris Benoit ended up losing on this night but he has a newborn baby to go home to so he is probably the happiest person in the world right now and he deserves that sort of happiness. This match gets a ****1/4 rating for me because I enjoyed the whole thing even though the ending was a little sloppy.

The Big Show d. The Rock
This was a shocker but I am VERY confident that the Rock will walk out of WrestleMania as the world champ. I am not going to speculate as to how this will happen because chances are I will be wrong. Shane McMahon got a big pop from the crowd because they appreciate the job he is doing with the booking committee! Actually, they probably cheered for him since he has been AWOL for over two months now. It was interesting seeing him attack Rocky and I made sure not to use the word turn cause it's not like he was on Rocky's side to begin with. The match was decent and provided a definite "what the fuck?" reaction after seeing it but like I said before Rocky will walk out of Mania as the world champ. I'll give it a *1/4 with an extra 1/4 for the surprising finish.

Triple H d. Cactus Jack ending Cactus Jack's career
This was without a doubt one of the greatest matches I have ever seen and truly one of the most memorable as well. There were so many things that made it special including the bumping of Foley and the desire to succeed that Triple H shows in EVERY match he is in. From everything ranging from the call of JR to the three count by the referee, it was the sort of match that every wrestling fan will never forget. Mick Foley's first HIAC match back at KOTR '98 was memorable due to the fantastic bumps he took but this one was greater in terms of workrate and memorable because it was the last match Mick Foley ever had. The blade jobs were excellent, the Cactus elbow was one of the best ever and the bump through the cage was very impressive. Yeah I know there were many things that insured his safety but I'm willing to bet that 95% of pro wrestlers would not even attempt to take a 12 foot fall like that. This was ***** all the way and if I could give it an even higher rating I most definitely would. It may be a while until the WWF has another five star main event so relish this one for as long as you can cause it was amazing.

I promise to write more about this match in the near future as part of my look at Wrestling's Greatest Matches. I will probably write more about this match in the future because it deserves all the praise in the world. I am going to put all of my other columns on hold for at least a week so I can write a tribute to Mick Foley that should be up this weekend. I also plan on writing something about the emergence Triple H that I will include in that same column. I will be writing a column on Wednesday about the happenings of Monday night so match #3 in my greatest matches series will have to wait till the middle of next week. Before I wrap this up I need to share some of my thoughts on one of the greatest ever: Mick Foley

Going out with a BANG! BANG!
I believe Mick Foley will never wrestle again because Foley said it himself and he is the most honest man this business has ever seen. You can read all the reports that you want but I have heard Mick Foley say, on WWF TV and off WWF TV, that he would not wrestle if he lost at No Way Out and I believe every word that he said.

In the past several big names retired and came back: Roddy Piper had a "retirement match" 13 years ago at WM3 yet he is still wrestling, Ric Flair lost a retirement match in '94 yet he's still wrestling, Kevin Nash lost at Road Wild '99 yet he came back a few months later and Hogan has retired like six times only to come back a month later. Foley is a man of his word; he has more pride, honor and integrity than any man that has ever been a part of this business. A lot of people seem to forget that Mick planned to retire in November but he continued wrestling because the WWF needed to fill the main event whole while Steve Austin recovered from neck surgery. Mick wrestled for the past four months with a much softer schedule so that he could give it all in the PPVs and by doing so he delivered two consecutive five star main events. I am upset that he is done but you had to see it coming so it is not like I am in total shock. I think Foley will be in the WWF in some sort of on air role because he loves this business too much to give it up. Even though I hate to say it, I don't think Mick Foley will ever wrestle actively again.

What many people fail to realize is he has helped the WWF out greatly with his performances over the last two months. Where would Triple H and The Rock be if they never feuded with Mick Foley? These two are the future of the WWF and they owe Mick Foley a huge debt of gratitude for putting them over so that they can carry the company like he did before them. I know Triple H has a lot of doubters out there, I was one of them, but the guy has really stepped it up in the past seven months or so and it is thanks to the efforts given by Foley. Mick is a very smart man and he knew how good Triple H is right now so he did the thing every wrestling employee should do, he passed the torch to a guy that deserved to run with the torch. I am sure Mick could have wrestled in the main event at WrestleMania if he wanted to but he is well aware of the success that Triple H has had. I had people mail me saying "Vince is an asshole for screwing Mick like this" but I think that is way wrong. Everybody and their grandma knows that The Rock vs. Triple H is what the WWF has been building for nearly four months now and Mick knew that as well as anybody. He is the most giving person that the WWF has ever had and in his last match he gave Triple H the best match of Hunter's career as well as giving him the spot in the WrestleMania main event.

It is sad to see Mick retire but can you blame a guy for wanting to spend more time with his family? The reason I respect Mick Foley more than anybody in this business is because of the love he has for his wife and children. I can relate to Mick as a father and I know that every decision you make in your life is going to affect your children whether it is directly or adversely. I will miss Mick Foley as a wrestler but I am glad that he was able to walk away from this match so he can go home and be with the people that really need him: his wife and his two beautiful children.

Michael Jordan retired after winning an NBA title, John Elway retired after winning a Super Bowl and Mick Foley retired after delivering a five star match. Wrestling is not about winning; it is about giving back to the fans and lord knows Mick Foley gave us more than we ever would have asked for.

Don't just have a nice day Mick, have a nice life.

John C.
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